Dec. 20

Continued the lengthy film Far and Away. Essay due tomorrow.

Dec. 19

We continued Far and Away. Essay due on Friday.

Dec. 18

Today we began the film Far and Away. The film will take most the week. On Friday the following is due:

In an essay of least 300 words (a page and a half typed) comment on the following:

1. How does director Ron Howard illustrate the immigrant experience to America during the late 1800s? Consider the following: immigrant motives for leaving, their arrival in America, immigrant neighborhoods, political machines in cities, opportunities in America, racism and prejudice.

2. Did you like the film? Why or why not? Do you think Howard did a good job illustrating this time? What did he leave out? What, if anything, did he get wrong?

The essay is due Friday, Dec. 21. No late work will be accepted.

Dec. 13, 14 and 17

Dec. 13: Students read from the Jungle and answered questions that went with the famous muckraking novel.

Dec. 14: After the basketball rally students were eager to get to some school work! Students viewed and analyzed some of Jacob Riis's famous photos of the tenement district in N.Y. 

Dec. 17: I collected the latest packet of in-class work (14 assignments). I provided class time for students to finish the Jungle assignment and any other work that was incomplete. 

Dec. 7 and Dec. 10

In class both Friday and Monday students worked on completing the Labor v. Capital assignment. Presentations will begin on Tuesday. 

Dec. 5

Students worked on the two-part Labor v. Capital project.

Dec. 3 and 4

Monday: I lectured about America in the late 1800s with a focus on Robber Barons. I also assigned a worksheet about the problems of Urbanization. Due Tuesday.

Tuesday: I finished the lecture about late 1800s America with focus on the responses of politicians and workers to the excesses of the Gilded Age. In 3rd period we began a new 2 part assignment about a specific conflict between labor and capital from that period, or about a person pertinent to that time.

Nov. 29

Today we finished analyzing the immigration political cartoons. There were many absences. I passed out a "unit grid" and we organized the current packet: Immigration, Big Money and the Progressives. I also assigned two new things:

1. Write a 5 sentence paragraph that explains how the cartoons you've analyzed illustrate the negative feelings some Americans had about immigration. And, write a 5 sentence paragraph that explains how the cartoons you've analyzed illustrate the positive feelings some Americans had about immigration. Cite specific cartoons. Due Friday.

2. Chapter 6, Section 1 Reading Guide: Page 246. Due Monday.

Nov. 28

We watched a short cartoon from Schoolhouse Rock titled "Melting Pot." The cartoon showed one perspective on immigration. After that students continued to work on analyzing the immigration political cartoons.

Nov. 26

Today I outlined the topics for the rest of the semester. I began a lecture about the economic disparities of the late 1800s that will lead to an examination of the Robber Barons and the conflict between capital and labor.

In zero period I assigned a reading guide which covers the origins of the Robber Baron's wealth. Third period will recieve the same tomorrow.

Nov. 14 & 15 & 16

Hard to keep up everyday.....

Nov. 14: Students worked on the short educational films about the Sharecropping system. I collected the Recon./Native American policy packets.

Nov. 15: Work on short films (due tomorrow) and I passed out a study guide for tomorrows quiz on Reconstruction and Native American Policy.

Nov. 16: Quiz and final touches on short films.

Have a good Thanksgiving.

Nov. 13

Today I introduced a new assignment that will be due at the end of class on Thursday. In teams of two students will create educational short films about the Sharecropping system. To complete this assignment students will use iMovie software.

Packets will be due tomorrow (11/14) and there will be a quiz on Reconstruction and Native American policy on Friday. Timelines should be turned in by now.

November 8

Today there was a presentation on Chief Joseph. Students then took the Healthy Kids survey, which took about 20 minutes. Students then continued working on the Native American timeline which will be due at the end of class tomorrow.

November 7

We attended an assembly that explained the origins of Veterans Day.

Monday and Tuesday Nov. 5 & 6

M0nday: Some students finished the N.A. Web Quest. It should be done by now. Others began the Native American Timeline that we will work on this week.

Tuesday: We watched a brief film segment on the Sand Creek Massacre and then student teams continued working on the timeline.

Homework: None

November 1 & 2

We transitioned from the study of Reconstruction and African Americans in the South to a look at the treatment Native Americans have received since the creation of the United States.

On Thursday students began a Native American Civics Web Quest that deals with the relationship between indian tribes and the American Government and how that has changed over the course of American History.

Friday 11/2: Students continued working on the N.A.C.W.Q.

Halloween 2007

Today we watched a short segment from the film 500 nations about the Indian Removal Act of 1830. I asked students to compare the similarities and differences in the way that Indians and African Americans were treated in the mid 19th Century.

I then passed out a map/worksheet about the Removal Act of 1830. Some students worked on finishing their daily presentation power-points.

No Homework.

Tuesday Oct. 30

Sorry.... I missed a few days. Here's a recap:
Thurs. 10/25: A spellbinding lecture on Reconstruction. Students did "fill in the blank" lecture notes.
Fri. 10/25: Students selected terms for the Quarter 2 presentations.

ALL PRESENTATIONS MUST BE DONE AND TURNED IN TO ME BEFORE THE PRESENTATION DATE. ALL PRESENTATIONS ARE NOW POWER-POINTS AND WILL BE STORED ON THE iMAC IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM.

Mon. 10/29: 1/2 the class worked on presentations while the other half did the "Apocalypse Then" questions.

Tuesday 10/30:
Half of the class worked on completing their daily presentations that will begin on this Friday. The other half of the class worked on a handout titled: Reconstruction and its effects.

No Homework, but presentations are need to be completed by the end of class tomorrow.

Also, the "Apocalypse Then" questions should also be completed by now.

Monday 10/22 and Tuesday 10/23

On Monday we reviewed for Tuesday's test by playing bingo and doing a review crossword.

On Tuesday students took the Quarter 1 test.

October 19, 2007

On Thursday I collected the Expansion and Civil War packets. We continued to watch Glory. On Friday we finished Glory and I returned both the packets and a study guide for the test which will be on Tuesday Oct. 23.

Glory extra credit essay is due on Monday, NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED.

October 16 & 17

On Tuesday I gave a riveting powerpoint lecture on the Civil War. After that we watched more of the dvd segment on Honest Abe Lincoln.

On Wed. we began the film Glory. There is an EXTRA CREDIT essay assignment that goes with the film.

PACKETS ARE DUE TOMORROW: TH. OCT 18!

October 15, 2007

There was more class time to finish the C.W. Spoke Diagram (which is due today). We also watched the first Lincoln segment from the President's dvd series. I also passed out a map assignment that illustrates the Union and the Confederate states. Packets will be due soon.... Wednesday?

Homework: Civil War Map

October 12, 2007

We continued working on the Civil War Spoke Diagrams. Diagrams are due at the end of class on Monday.

NO HOMEWORK.

October 11: Civil War Spoke Diagram

Today we continued working on the Causes of the Civil War Spoke Diagram.

No Homework.

Causes of the Civil War Spoke Diagram

Today we reviewed the Dred Scott case with a brief powerpoint. I then passed out a handout that described the cultural differences between the North and the South on the eve of the Civil War, and went over directions for the Causes of the Civil War spoke diagram group assignment.

Students organized themselves into groups of no more than 3, and began work.